


‘s Ùrachadh Atharrachadh

by velvetjinx



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: A love letter to a beautiful island, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Feminization, Fluff, M/M, Shameless Smut, big dick bucky barnes, no cryo for Bucky, watch as jinx plays tourist board
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 23:46:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13087971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: Bucky’s trigger words have been removed, and he and Steve are ready for some R-and-R. But where to go?How about the last place Ross—or anyone—would ever think of looking for them?





	‘s Ùrachadh Atharrachadh

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically my love letter to a place very close to my heart. I’ve been sitting on it for a while but today seems like a good day to post it. 
> 
> The Western Isles are real! The characters are not based on anyone in particular, but everything spoken about exists. The villages, the museum, the castle grounds, the beautiful beaches... all of it is very, very real. If you ever get the chance to visit I would highly recommend it. 
> 
> Title is in Scottish Gaelic, which is spoken extensively on the islands, and means “A Change Is As Good As A Holiday”. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who ready it over, and to tisfan for the various beta suggestions.

“I can't believe I'm finally free,” Bucky said to Steve, his tone awed as they looked out the window of their room in Wakanda at the now familiar view of the waterfall and forest. 

Steve smiled and pulled Bucky into a kiss. It had taken a year--a difficult year, during which Bucky had despaired of ever being cured--but the trigger words had finally been removed from his brain. 

“You've done amazing,” Steve told him, and Bucky smiled, cupping Steve's face with his new vibranium hand. 

“I couldn't have done it without you, Steve. Your belief in me helped more than you can ever know.” Bucky sighed. “I wish we could stay here forever, but I think it's time to leave.”

“Where do you want to go?”

Bucky let out a short laugh. “Where's the last place Ross and his cronies would look for us?”

***

“Lewis,” Bucky said flatly. “Where the hell is ‘Lewis’?”

“It's off the west coast of Scotland,” Steve explained patiently. “It's quite big, but not that big, and it has a population of just over twenty thousand. Beautiful beaches, wide open spaces--the perfect place to just relax after everything you've been through.”

“What are the locals like?” Bucky asked. “Small usually means small minded.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “It's not the nineteen forties any more, Buck. From what I understand, religion is a big deal on Lewis, sure, but the people are friendly and welcoming. Plus, if we go for July and August, we're more likely to get the good weather, and there's a big music festival in July that we can go to if you wanted.”

“What kind of music?”

“Scottish music? It's called the Hebridean Celtic Festival, and people come from all over the world to go to it.”

“So you want to go for a full two months?” Bucky looked thoughtful. “I don't want to stay in a hotel. Are there places to rent?”

Steve grinned. “Already looked into that. We'd need to hire a car, but that shouldn't be a problem, and there's a really nice house about nineteen miles from the town in a village called…” Steve paused, looking at the piece of paper in his hand. “Uh. Ah-riv-roo-itch? I don't know, some weird Scottish name. But it's a little village, and it's got a garden, and there are sheep nearby?”

“Hmm. Wait, nineteen miles from _the_ town?”

“Well, yeah. It's a small island? There are mostly villages.”

“What if I want takeout at two a.m.?”

Steve gave him a hard look. “You've lived without that all your life.”

“I know, but in civilization you can get that now!”

“Well this is rural. Come on, Buck. You said you wanted to go somewhere that Ross wouldn't look for us.” He rubbed idly at the beard he'd allowed to grow over the last few months. “I doubt Ross even knows this place exists. It's perfect.”

“And they speak English, right?”

“I assume so.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Well, if you're so set on it, then fine. Let's do it.”

Steve smiled and pulled Bucky in for a quick kiss. “You'll love it. I swear.”

***

King T’Challa had provided them with false papers, including passports and driver’s licenses, so Steve booked the house under his false name--Steve Anderson. He looked askance at his own papers. 

“Anderson? I'm never gonna remember this.”

“You'll remember it fine,” Bucky replied, clapping him on the shoulder. “Just remember that I’m James Gray now and it’ll be okay. Come on. The jet is about to leave.”

The king had chartered a jet to take them all the way there, for which both Steve and Bucky were immensely grateful, as it cut down on their chances of being recognized while traveling. Steve had spent their time in Wakanda assisting the Dora Milaje as extra security for King T’Challa. Bucky had joined him laterally, determined to pay back King T’Challa for what he had done. But the fact that the king had gone the extra mile for them in this made Steve determined that one day he would fully repay the people of Wakanda for their help. 

The flight was long, and they spent a good deal of it sleeping. But, finally, the captain said over the intercom, “We will be landing soon in Stornoway. Please fasten your seatbelts.”

Ten minutes later they were on the ground, and taxiing down the runway. Their passports were checked as they entered the building, and so was their hand luggage, much to Bucky's annoyance.

Finally, they were ready to leave, and they made their way to the window for car rentals. 

The girl behind the desk was eager to help, and soon they were driving away from the airport with a brand new car, fully equipped with USB ports and a GPS. As Steve was driving, Bucky punched in the zip code--which was apparently called a postcode in the UK--and they headed towards the village that neither of them could pronounce. 

Steve was too focused on staying on the correct side of the road to really take any more of the scenery, but Bucky kept exclaiming every five minutes over everything in sight. One thing Steve did notice as he drove was the fact that there were stretches of road where there was just… nothing. Wide open spaces of moorland with a few lakes, and the occasional sheep. On the way there were a few villages, and Bucky struggled to read out the names. 

“Leeoorbost? What? Steve, if we ever get lost we're gonna be in trouble,” Bucky said with a laugh, and Steve grinned. 

“It's fine. We'll ask the locals how to pronounce things.”

Steve also noticed that every road sign had two versions of each name--one anglicized, the other in the local language, which he was pretty sure he'd never have any hope of pronouncing. 

After about 40 minutes the GPS announced, “You have reached your destination!”, and Steve looked out for the house. 

“There it is!” Bucky cried, and Steve pulled into the driveway. A woman who Steve judged to be in her forties was sitting on the step, cigarette in hand, and she smiled when she saw them, standing up and walking towards the car. 

“Are you Steve and James?” she asked in a soft, lilting accent. 

Steve nodded, going up to her and shaking her free hand. “I'm Steve, and this is James, although he goes by Bucky.”

Her smile widened. “Pleased to meet you. I'm Mairi Morrison. And is this your first time on the island?”

“Uh, yeah.” Steve paused. “We've been having a bit of trouble with pronouncing place names.”

Mairi laughed. “I'll just bet. Well, this village is called ‘Arivruach’.”

“Ah-ree-vroo-ock?”

Mairi pursed her lips together to keep from laughing at him. “No, no, there's a soft “ch” at the end. Like at the end of “loch”, which is what lakes are called here. It's basically like you're clearing your throat when you speak.”

Steve tried again, almost getting it, as Bucky echoed him with more success, and Mairi nodded. 

“That'll do. You'll soon learn.” She took a set of keys out her pocket and gestured towards the house. “Come on. I'll show you around.”

The house was airy and spacious, and even Bucky looked impressed. There were three big bedrooms, two of which had a beautiful view of the hills and a loch. 

“That's Loch Seaforth,” Mairi explained when Steve asked her about it. “It's a sea loch. Not a bad view, eh?”

“It's beautiful,” Bucky said softly, and Mairi looked pleased. 

“Now, there are some things you should probably know about the island. We keep the sabbath day here, so there are only a couple of shops in town open on a Sunday. Nobody does anything noisy, so no cutting the grass or washing your car, and no one hangs their washing out on a Sunday.”

Steve and Bucky looked at each other, eyes wide. “Why not?” Steve asked. 

Mairi shrugged. “Some people see it as breaking the commandment, because you're doing labor. Personally--” she lowered her voice conspiratorially, “--if it's a nice day and we've had crap weather all week I hang it out anyway, but then my washing line is at the back of the house so it doesn't cause a stir.”

“Oh.” Steve was at somewhat of a loss, and Mairi patted him on the arm. 

“You'll learn, a’ghràidh. Now, have you come across much Gaelic?”

Steve and Bucky shook their heads. “I'm guessing that's what's on the road signs?” Steve asked. 

“It is. A lot of people speak it, so you'll hear it around. It's a lovely language, but there are far fewer speakers than there used to be so it’s going through a period of revitalization these days.”

“Do you speak it?” Bucky asked. 

“Enough,” Mairi replied with a laugh. “Enough to know if someone is insulting me, anyway.” She looked at her watch. “Anyway, the food you requested is put away in the kitchen--you have to go into town to do your shopping but since you've got a car that's not going to be a problem. The wifi password is on the router. And I think that's it!” She smiled at them. “I really hope you enjoy your stay, and I just live across the road if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Mairi,” Steve said gratefully. 

She handed over the keys, and they trooped out to the car to pick up their bags and take them inside. They chose the biggest bedroom with the view of the loch, and Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky's waist, kissing him. 

“So. What do you think so far?”

Bucky smiled. “I think I might just like it here.”

***

Once they'd unpacked and washed their faces to freshen up, they headed downstairs to make some food. The kitchen clock said it was nearly five p.m., and Steve set his own watch to the local time before opening the refrigerator. 

“So what do you want to eat?”

Bucky hummed thoughtfully. “Pasta? With some chicken tossed in there?”

“Sounds good.” Steve grabbed what he needed from the refrigerator and put it on the side, pulling Bucky in to kiss him. 

“Thought you were cooking dinner?” Bucky murmured between kisses. 

“Guess I just can't keep my hands off of you,” Steve replied with a wicked grin, running his hands down Bucky's back to grab his ass and squeeze. Bucky moaned into his mouth, and Steve could feel Bucky's cock starting to harden against him. “You know, we've not christened our new home yet,” Steve said. 

Bucky didn't reply in words; he simply grabbed hold of Steve's hand and pulled him upstairs to the bedroom. 

They stripped quickly, then Steve pulled Bucky against him, wrapping his arms around Bucky's waist and drawing him in for a kiss. He shifted his hips, rubbing their hard cocks together, and Bucky gasped. 

“Fuck, Steve, wanna suck you then ride you,” Bucky moaned against his mouth, and Steve groaned. 

“Oh fuck, yeah, Buck. Want your mouth on me.”

Steve lay down on the bed, and Bucky climbed on after him. Steve took hold of Bucky's cock, huge and hard and heavy, and gave it a few strokes as they kissed. Then Bucky slid down the bed and, without warning, grabbed hold of Steve's cock and began to suck on his balls. Steve was moaning pretty much constantly as Bucky's tongue worked magic, then whined as Bucky pulled away. 

But then Bucky was sucking the head of Steve's cock into his mouth, and Steve damn near bit through his lip. He saw Bucky smirk around his mouthful, before moving slowly down until his lips were wrapped around the base and Steve could feel Bucky's throat fluttering around the head of his cock. 

“Oh my god,” he groaned, then Bucky was sucking back up to the head, licking around it and making Steve's hands fist in the sheets. 

Bucky grasped the base of his cock and began to suck him properly, and Steve's eyes nearly rolled back into his head. He could feel himself getting close, and cried out, “Fuck, Bucky, you need to stop or I'm gonna come.”

Bucky pulled off with a grin, and crawled back up the bed to kiss Steve deeply. Steve could taste his own precome on Bucky's tongue, turning him on even more. 

Bucky pulled back and took the lube out of the bedside cabinet, but slapped Steve's hand away when he tried to take it. 

“Don't you wanna see me finger myself open for your cock?” Bucky asked, and Steve bit his lip. 

“Oh, fuck, yeah, Buck, wanna see you open yourself up for me, wanna see your fingers in your ass, knowing my cock is gonna be in there soon.”

Bucky poured the lube over his fingers, then turned around, straddling Steve's hips. He leaned forward, supporting himself with his left hand as he reached around and pushed a finger into his ass. He began to work it back and forth, moaning almost constantly. As he added a second finger and began to stretch himself properly, Steve reached down and began to play with Bucky's balls. 

“Oh fuck, Steve,” Bucky managed, gasping. The sight in front of him was turning Steve on so much he wasn't sure how he was supposed to last when he was finally inside Bucky, and he tried to distract himself. The distraction of thinking cold thoughts seemed to work, as the pressing need to come eased off slightly, but then Bucky added a third finger, and the sight of that shiny, lube-wet hole stretching around Bucky's fingers nearly sent him over the edge. 

Steve reached down and grabbed the lube, slicking up his cock in readiness. Bucky pulled his fingers out his ass and turned around, grasping hold of Steve's cock. 

As Bucky sank down, Steve bit his lip at the feeling of being surrounded by familiar tight heat. When Bucky was fully seated, he leaned forward, hands on either side of Steve, and Steve moved to kiss him. 

Bucky smiled, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and began to move. Steve rolled his hips to meet him, and took hold of Bucky's beautiful big cock, stroking him in time with their movements. 

Steve lost track of time as they fucked, moving together in a rhythm they both knew so well. But then Bucky shifted, leaning backwards, and he cried out. 

“Oh, fuck, yeah, Steve, that's it, keep fucking me like that, oh god,” he moaned, and Steve began to pick up the pace, fucking Bucky harder and stroking him with more intent. “Oh god, Steve, yeah, I'm gonna come, don't stop, don't you fucking dare stop…”

“Yeah, Buck, wanna see you, want you to come for me,” Steve managed, and twisted his hand under the head of Bucky's cock on the upstroke. 

Bucky gasped out Steve's name and came, hard enough that Steve felt a splash on his shoulder. He grabbed hold of Bucky's hips and continued to fuck him. But Bucky’s muscles squeezing around his cock pushed him over the edge and pleasure shot up his spine as he came with a groan. 

Bucky pulled up and off Steve’s cock, wincing slightly. Flopping down beside Steve, Bucky pulled him in for a kiss. Steve returned the kiss hungrily, pulling Bucky's leg over his own and reaching down to stroke gently at Bucky's asshole, feeling his own come drip out. 

“Fuck, Steve, I'm not up for another round yet,” Bucky said with a laugh, and Steve grinned. 

“Come on. We'd better shower then actually make dinner,” he said, and Bucky kissed him softly, groaning as Steve dipped a finger inside him. 

“God, Steve, you'll be the death of me.”

“Nope, but I do intend to fuck you in the shower,” Steve responded as he felt Bucky’s cock twitch and start to fill against his thigh. “Gotta love that super soldier recovery time.”

Bucky laughed against his mouth, and Steve grinned. He already loved it here. 

***

When he awoke the next morning, instead of hearing the familiar sound of a waterfall, there was an almost unearthly silence… until it was broken by a bleating noise. Steve's eyes flew open to see an unfamiliar room, and it was a few moments before he remembered where he was and his racing heart calmed. 

He looked down at Bucky, who was lying sprawled across him, head pillowed on his chest, and smiled before kissing the top of Bucky's tousled head. Bucky mumbled in his sleep, shifting slightly before settling, and Steve felt his heart swell with love for the man in his arms. 

He reached over and grabbed his phone from the side to check the time--eight a.m., Friday, June thirtieth. Next Tuesday was his ninety ninth birthday. 

“Hey, Buck,” he said softly, and Bucky made a quiet noise of protest. “Buck, come on, wake up. We've got an island to explore.”

“Don't wanna get up yet,” Bucky muttered. 

“Well, I'm getting up,” Steve told him, and Bucky cracked an eye open to glare balefully at him. 

“But I'm comfortable.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I'm not staying in bed all day. Come on, it looks like a nice day out, and we've gotta make the most of it when it's nice since it’s usually not great weather.”

“ _Now_ you tell me these things,” Bucky grumbled, but he rolled over and sat up anyway, complaining to himself as he clambered out of bed and headed through to the bathroom. 

After breakfast they headed into town. Steve had searched the internet to see where the tourist information center was in Stornoway and they found it easily enough. 

“Hello!” the young woman behind the counter said, her accent the same lovely, lilting accent as Mairi’s. “Can I help at all?”

“I hope so,” Steve replied with a smile. “We're here for extended vacation until the end of August and we really want to explore. Can you suggest things for us to do?”

The woman looked delighted. “Absolutely! I've got so many leaflets here, these should keep you going the full two months. And… do you like Celtic music?”

“No idea,” Steve said, grinning. “But we're willing to give it a try.”

“Well, I'll give you directions to the HebCelt shop and you can go in and ask about tickets. HebCelt is the Hebridean Celtic Festival.”

Steve nodded. “I've heard of it.”

“Fantastic. Well it's a fun week and I highly recommend it.”

The woman picked up a handful of leaflets and went through each one with Steve and Bucky, explaining where they were on the island and why they were of particular interest. By the end, Steve's head was reeling, but in a good way. He hadn't imagined that there would be so much on such a small island. 

“To be honest with you,” the woman said finally, “while the weather is this nice I would take advantage and spend the day either walking around the castle grounds or on the beach.”

“Castle?” Bucky asked, eyes wide, and the woman laughed. 

“It's really a Victorian mansion that just looks like a castle. It's right next to where they set up for HebCelt. But there's a museum in there and it's really good. The grounds are beautiful, though. The castle and its grounds were commissioned by Sir James Matheson. He made his money in the Chinese opium trade, and bought the island with the money he'd made. But he brought plants from all over the world, so there's some really interesting bits in there.”

Steve looked at Bucky questioningly, and Bucky nodded. “I think we might have a look around there today, then.”

The woman nodded and handed them another leaflet. “There's a map in here. Mind the golf course! Don't go through it if you can help it. None of the main paths go through it. And I strongly suggest you go into the castle to visit the museum while you're in there. We've got some of the Lewis Chessmen back on permanent loan from the British Museum.”

Steve and Bucky thanked her again for all her help, and left, their hands full of leaflets. They dropped all but the one on the castle grounds back in the car, then set off on foot. As they walked, they spotted the HebCelt office, and Steve nudged Bucky. 

“What do you think, Buck? Should we?”

“Why not?” Bucky replied with a laugh. “May as well experience everything while we're here.”

They headed into the shop, and emerged ten minutes later with full week tickets for both of them, as well as t-shirts with “HebCelt 2017” emblazoned on the front. 

“Come on, Buck,” Steve said with a smile as they walked towards the castle grounds. “Let's go explore.”

***

They managed not to get lost in the castle grounds, which Steve was astonished by as the grounds were considerably bigger than he had imagined they would be. So far they had found a hazelnut tree, some bamboo, and about a million rhododendron plants. Eventually they turned back from the top of Gallows Hill and made their way to the castle. 

They stopped first in the Storehouse Café for coffee and cake, resting for a while after their long trek. 

“So I was thinking,” Steve said, after swallowing a mouthful of the most delicious coffee and walnut cake he'd ever tasted, “that we could have a look around the museum, then maybe head to one of the historical sites that woman in the tourist information office was talking about?”

“Sounds good.” Bucky took a sip of his black coffee with a smile. “Which one?”

“The standing stones, maybe? They sounded pretty interesting.”

Bucky nodded. “Yeah, they did. Okay, let's do that.”

They finished their cake and coffee and headed out to the museum. As it was a small local museum Steve hadn't been expecting there to be very much; in fact, he was pleasantly surprised by the range of information. Most of it was about the island, but there was a special exhibit on fossils which was especially interesting. 

Both he and Bucky loved the Lewis chessmen, and when they passed through the gift shop, Steve couldn't help himself; he bought Bucky a reproduction berserker piece. 

“You trying to tell me something, Steve?” Bucky joked, before grinning. “Seriously, though, I love it. Thank you.”

They found the bathroom and used the facilities quickly, as Steve had the feeling it was quite a long drive to where they were going, then headed back to the car. 

Luckily, there was a postcode on the leaflet for the standing stones--named on the leaflet as the Callanish Stones, as they were located in a place called Callanish--and Bucky input this into the GPS. 

Once again, both Steve and Bucky were amazed by the stretches of road where there was nothing around but moorland and lochs. For two boys from New York it felt almost eerie, but there was a peacefulness to it. 

It took about half an hour, but soon they were pulling into the car park. It was quite busy, and Steve could feel Bucky tense beside him. 

“It's okay, Buck,” Steve said softly. “We can come back another time, if you want.”

Bucky took a deep breath and shook his head. “Nah. I've gotta get used to it, right? Besides, I really want to see these stones.”

Steve smiled, wishing he could take Bucky's hand but not daring to while they were out in public. Instead, he clapped Bucky on the shoulder. 

“Come on, then. Let's see what these are all about.”

They went into the visitor's center, and made their way around, marveling at the information. Not that there was much known about the stones themselves--who built them and what they were for was mostly speculation--but it was interesting nonetheless. 

When they had finished looking around, they headed out to the stones themselves. It had started to quieten down, and they were the only two there. The sky had begun to cloud over, and there was a strong breeze buffeting them as they looked at the mysterious, ancient stones. 

“Do you feel that?” Steve murmured, and Bucky nodded. 

“It's like you can sense how old they are,” Bucky said in hushed tones. “Almost like if you listen hard enough, they'd talk to you.”

Steve looked out over the miles of moorland, and pointed. “There's that old woman of the moors that the exhibit talked about,” he said, and Bucky followed his gaze to the range of hills which did indeed look bizarrely like an old woman lying on her back. 

They stood there together for a few moments, looking in awe at the view and the history all around them, before by an unspoken agreement walking back to the car together. 

They barely spoke on the drive home, both of them too overawed by what they'd seen to make small talk. When they arrived they saw Mairi walking down the road, a dog at her heels. She waved at them as they parked the car, and they got out to speak to her. 

“Hello!” she said cheerfully. “Have you been exploring?”

Steve nodded. “We went around the castle museum and the castle grounds, and then out to the standing stones.”

Mairi grinned. “And what did you think?”

“Spectacular,” Bucky said emphatically. “I've never experienced anything like those stones.”

“It's weird, isn't it?” Mairi said with a laugh. “Gives me the creeps. We used to go there on school trips a lot when I was young.”

“It must have been amazing growing up here,” Steve said softly. 

Mairi’s smile softened. “It's not bad. It was very safe when I was growing up, so my friends and I would run wild over the moors, and go fishing in the lochs, and ride our bikes wherever we liked without any need for adults.”

“Sounds idyllic,” Bucky murmured. 

“I suppose it was,” Mairi replied with a laugh. “It's not quite the same nowadays, but it's still lovely. The weather is supposed to be nice again tomorrow--you might want to try one of the beaches. Have you ever swam in the sea?”

Both Steve and Bucky shook their heads. 

“No sharks?” Bucky asked cautiously. 

“None that would eat you,” Mairi responded, smirking. “It's good fun, swimming in the sea. If it's warm enough you should try it.”

“We will. Thank you,” Steve said. “Where are the best beaches?”

Mairi thought for a moment. “Probably down in Harris. Luskentyre is the biggest, but Horgabost is my favorite. There are lots, though, so take your pick!”

“Sounds great.”

“Well, anyway, I’d better get Ivor his dinner,” Mairi said, gesturing to the dog sitting patiently at her feet. “Hope you enjoy the beach tomorrow!”

The two of them thanked her and said their goodbyes before heading into the house. 

“Better look out your bucket and shovel,” Steve said with a laugh, wrapping his arms around Bucky's waist and kissing him. 

“Oh, very funny.” Bucky looked at Steve thoughtfully. “Do we even have any swimming trunks?”

“Of course we do. I knew about the beaches, remember? We'll look out some big towels and make a picnic, maybe head down about ten?”

“Sounds perfect,” Bucky replied, and Steve couldn't help but kiss him again. 

***

The drive to Harris the following morning was a pleasant one, and at length they pulled up next to the beautiful golden sands of Horgabost beach. Bucky was looking around nervously, but the beach was deserted, for all that it was a beautiful day. 

“Come on, Buck,” Steve said softly. “No one is going to see you. It's fine.”

They took their towels and picnic down to the beach and stripped down to their swimming trunks before smearing themselves in sunscreen. They lay on their spread-out towels for a while, basking in the warmth of the sun, then Steve sat up. 

“Pretty sure this sunscreen is dry now,” he said with a grin. “Wanna go for a dip?”

Bucky thought for a moment, then grinned back. “Why not?”

Steve dropped the car keys and their phones into the picnic bags, and together they headed down towards the impossibly blue sea. Steve dipped his toes in before pulling them out immediately with a laugh. 

“Fuuuuuck, that is not very warm.”

“Oh, come on, you big baby,” Bucky said, rolling his eyes, before wading in. He stood in the sea, water up to his waist, shivering. “S-s-see? It's f-fine.”

“Buck, come on, you'll catch hypothermia!”

Bucky shook his head. “Seriously, Steve, it's already feeling warmer. You just have to get used to it. In fact…” Bucky trailed off, then fell backwards into the water. Thinking he might be injured, Steve ran towards him, but then Bucky surfaced, laughing and wiping his sodden hair out of his eyes. 

“That wasn't funny, Buck!” 

“This is great, Steve! Come on, let's go in deeper.” Bucky grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, and Steve marveled at the change in his boyfriend. He was almost like Steve remembered him from when they were kids--the same kind of childish excitement. It made Steve's heart swell with happiness to see Bucky so happy and carefree, so he sighed and followed him in until the sea was up to their chests. 

“I'm gonna swim to shore,” Bucky said excitedly, and did so in strong, sure strokes. Steve shrugged and followed him, keeping his head above the swell of the water as Bucky swam ahead of him. When Bucky reached the shore he stood up, raising his arms in the air triumphantly. Steve swam up behind him and stood too, looking around to make sure the beach was still deserted before wrapping his arms around Bucky's waist and kissing the salty, wet skin on the back of his neck. 

They horsed around in the water for a while, until Steve got too hungry to ignore it any more. They went back up the beach, sitting on their towels. Bucky pulled on his hoodie and they started on their picnic. Their appetites, usually large anyway due to their super soldier metabolism, seemed enhanced by the sea air, and soon all that was left of the food they had brought was crumbs. 

They lay together in the sun for some time, just holding hands and enjoying the heat of the sun’s rays, but eventually Steve sat up with a sigh. 

“I guess we should probably make a move before it cools down.”

Bucky frowned, but nodded. “I guess you're right. It's a pity, though. I could stay here forever.”

“We’ll come back again if we get another nice day,” Steve said with a smile, and Bucky smiled back. 

“I'd like that.”

They got changed under their towels, and wrapped their wet trunks in the towels before taking everything back to the car. Bucky was quiet on the drive home, but Steve saw him smile to himself, and Steve… Well. Steve was just happy that Bucky was happy. 

***

The following day was Sunday, and Steve and Bucky woke up to gray skies and drizzle. 

“Everything is closed today, right?” Bucky murmured sleepily into Steve's chest as they lay in bed. 

“Pretty much.”

“Wanna just stay in bed and watch TV?”

Steve leaned down and kissed him. “Sounds great. But first I'm gonna go shower--I'm pretty sure I still have sand in various places--and then I really want you to fuck me.”

Bucky smirked. “I could definitely be persuaded to fuck you,” he said thoughtfully. 

“Persuaded, huh?” Steve said with a laugh. “Okay. Shower first.” He kissed Bucky again lingeringly, then headed through to the shower. 

When he was done and went back through to the bedroom, Bucky was lying sprawled on top of the covers, idly stroking his huge cock. 

“You get started without me?” Steve asked teasingly, clambering onto the bed and kissing Bucky. 

“Hmm, couldn't help it,” Bucky murmured. “Thinking about being inside your tight ass gets me so hot.”

Steve grinned and positioned himself on all fours, ass in the air. Bucky grabbed the lube from the side and knelt behind Steve, before leaning down and kissing him on the tailbone. Then Bucky started kissing his way down to Steve's hole, nipping and sucking and licking around the puckered flesh. 

Steve gasped and moaned at the feel of Bucky's mouth on him. “Oh, fuck yeah, baby,” he groaned out. “Fuck, love it when you eat me out, Buck, love it when you tongue my ass.”

Bucky's response was to start pushing his tongue into Steve's ass, and Steve whined as Bucky tonguefucked him, saliva dripping down to his balls. He could feel his cock hanging heavy between his legs, already dripping onto the covers as Bucky ate him out. 

Bucky pulled back and Steve let out an embarrassing whimper, then he heard the unmistakable sound of Bucky slicking up his fingers. He pushed his ass further in the air, and Bucky huffed out a laugh. 

“Desperate for my fingers, are you, baby?” he asked, and Steve nodded. Then Bucky was pushing two fingers inside him and working them back and forth, stretching him open. Steve could hear himself making a high pitched, needy sound, but he couldn't bring himself to care when Bucky was making him feel so good. 

Bucky added a third finger, and Steve was starting to get impatient so he started to move his hips, fucking himself on Bucky's hand, and Bucky groaned. 

“Jesus, Steve, you really fucking want it, don't you? So eager for my cock, babydoll. Don't worry, Steve, I'm gonna take care of you. Gotta get you opened up first, though--don't wanna hurt you.”

Steve nodded. He knew what Bucky was saying was sensible, but he was still impatient. But Bucky was big enough and thick enough that if he wasn't prepped properly it would hurt like a bitch, so he bit down on his arm, the slight pain distracting him from his aching cock. 

At long last, Bucky pulled his fingers out and slicked up his cock, pulling Steve up and off the bed.

“What…?” Steve asked, confused, and Bucky grinned, before picking Steve up and turning him around so his back was against the wall. Steve wrapped his legs around Bucky's waist, and then Bucky was lowering him down onto that big cock. 

“Oh, fuck,” Steve said, gasping, as Bucky slowly filled him. “Fuck, Bucky, love this, love you, love having your big cock inside me.”

“I know you do, baby,” Bucky said with a grin, bending his head down to bite gently at one of Steve's nipples. Steve cried out at the sudden pleasure, and Bucky began to move his hips, fucking Steve slowly, dragging their pleasure out. “Come on, Steve. Wanna see you play with your tits as I fuck you,” Bucky said breathlessly. 

Steve blushed, but obeyed, leaning back against the wall and playing with his sensitive nipples. Bucky shifted slightly, rolling his hips, and Steve felt pleasure explode up his spine as he moaned. 

“Wanna see if you can come without me touching you, baby,” Bucky murmured as he picked up the pace, fucking Steve faster and harder. “Come on, baby, how does it feel, having me inside you while you play with your tits?”

“Feels so good, Buck, oh my god. I'm so sensitive, and your cock is filling me up perfectly, just like always.”

Bucky grinned, shaking his long hair out his eyes. “Where are you sensitive, baby? Come on, tell me.”

“M-my tits,” Steve stammered, embarrassed, but Bucky looked delighted, leaning in to kiss him. 

“Yeah, Steve, that's it. Squeeze those tits for me. Look at you, all hot for me. Fuck, Steve, your cock is so wet, you gonna come for me?”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, just… just keep hitting that spot.”

Bucky kept up the pace, and Steve could feel himself getting closer and closer to the edge. He was almost there, almost…

“Fuck, Bucky, gonna come,” he managed, then cried out as he came hard, cock untouched and pulsing between them. He leaned his head against the wall behind him, grinning at Bucky. “Come on, Buck, come inside me, fill me with your come, come on, baby, want to see you…”

“Oh fuck, Steve,” Bucky groaned and he stilled as he came deep inside Steve. He rested his forehead against Steve's for a few moments as they caught their breath, then Bucky lifted Steve off his cock. He set him down on the floor and pulled him into a deep kiss. 

“You are so fucking hot,” Bucky said with a laugh. “Fuck, I love you.”

“Love you too.” Steve paused. “And now I have come dripping out my ass.”

“Yeah, you're pretty covered in it.” 

Steve sighed. “Guess I'd better shower again.”

“You want company?”

“Always,” Steve replied, and Bucky laughed as he followed him through to the bathroom. 

***

The following day, Steve drove Bucky into town and did some grocery shopping while Bucky explored. Steve had been a little put out that Bucky had wanted to wander around by himself, but then Bucky had squeezed his hand and murmured, “Well, if you don't want a surprise for your birthday,” and Steve had nodded in understanding. 

When he picked Bucky up, Bucky was clutching a mysterious bag and grinning. Steve just laughed. 

The rain came on in the afternoon, so they stayed indoors, watching old movies as they snuggled together on the sofa. Around four p.m., the doorbell rang, and Steve and Bucky looked at each other, eyes wide. But when Steve opened the door, Mairi was standing there, smiling. 

“Sorry to disturb you,” she said apologetically. 

“No, it's fine. Come in!”

“Thanks,” Mairi said, and followed Steve in out the rain. “I just wanted to make sure everything was okay with the house?”

“It's perfect,” Steve said, smiling. “Thank you, Mairi.”

“Good.” She paused, looking at Steve searchingly. “Tell me if I'm wrong, but you and Bucky--you're together, aren't you?”

Steve froze, and Mairi smiled kindly at him. 

“Don't worry, a’ghràidh. You get some small minded people around, like in any community, but mostly people don't really care. I mean,” she added with a laugh, “I wouldn't necessarily suggest that you wander around town holding hands--you might give some of the old Wee Frees a heart attack--but it certainly won't bother a lot of the younger folk.”

Steve let out a long breath. “Thank you.” He frowned. “What's a Wee Free?”

Mairi began to laugh. “Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. They're an offshoot of the Free Church of Scotland, who are an offshoot of the Church of Scotland. Wee Frees aren't big on progress. In fact, there's a local joke--’How many Wee Frees does it take to change a lightbulb?’”

“I don't know,” Steve replied with a grin.

“‘Change? _Change_?’”

Steve chuckled. “I see what you mean, then.”

“Anyway,” Mairi continued after a moment, “what I came over for was to let you know someone will be coming over tomorrow to read the electricity meter. Will you be in or will I let him in?”

“We'll be out,” Bucky replied, appearing out of the living room, and Steve looked at him in surprise. “It's Steve's birthday, so I've got a surprise for him.”

“Oh!” Mairi looked delighted. “I wish I'd known. Happy birthday for tomorrow!”

“Thanks, Mairi,” Steve responded, smiling. 

“Well, you lads have a lovely day, and I hope the weather holds for you if you're doing anything outside. I'd better be off--got to get the tea on. Cheerio!”

Steve saw her out, and turned to Bucky, taking a deep breath. 

“So there goes my dream of wandering around town holding your hand,” Bucky joked, and Steve rolled his eyes. 

“What's this surprise?”

Bucky gave him an incredulous look. “You do understand the concept of a surprise, right? It's just a shame we're not here during the winter.”

And with that cryptic statement, he headed back through to the living room, leaving a very nonplussed Steve standing in the hallway. 

***

The following morning dawned dry but overcast, and the wind was quite strong. Steve could hear it wuthering through the trees outside as he lay in bed, spooned around Bucky's back. 

Bucky stirred in his arms, then turned over, smiling when he saw Steve was awake. 

“Happy birthday, baby,” he said softly, leaning in to kiss Steve. Steve smiled into the kiss, and at length Bucky pulled back, reaching under the bed and emerging with a card and parcel wrapped in garish paper. 

Steve opened the card first, and laughed when he read it. Of course Bucky would get him a card that made a joke about how old he was. 

The parcel was soft, and Steve squeezed it gently before opening it. Inside was a grey hooded sweatshirt, an eagle embroidered on the chest, and the words “Isle of Lewis: Where Eagles Fly” around it. 

“I know it's not much,” Bucky said nervously, “but I thought you should have something that would remind you of our time here.”

“I love it, Buck,” Steve said with a smile, leaning into kiss him. 

“That's only part of your present. The other part we have to travel for.”

“Oh?”

“And we need to be there by eleven, so get your ass up.”

Steve laughed, rolling his eyes. “Fine. I'll shower first.”

After they'd both showered, they headed downstairs and Bucky made them chocolate chip pancakes. Bucky, as always, drenched his in an obscene amount of syrup, making Steve smile indulgently. 

They were just getting ready to leave when the doorbell rang. When Steve answered, Mairi was standing there smiling, a large Tupperware box in hand. 

“I hoped I'd catch you before you went out,” she said. “I know you said it was your birthday, so I made you this.”

Steve looked inside the box to see a gorgeous looking gooey chocolate cake. 

“Oh, Mairi, you shouldn't have!” Steve exclaimed, but Mairi waved her hand dismissively. 

“You have to have a birthday cake. I hope you enjoy it.”

“You should join us for dinner tonight, and help us eat it,” Bucky said from behind Steve. 

“Och, no, I'm not going to interrupt your celebrations. You lads enjoy it. It should last you a few days anyway!”

“You're so kind, Mairi,” Steve said softly. “Thank you so much.”

“It's no bother. Anyway, I'll let you get away to your surprise, but I'm sure I'll see you later and you can let me know what you thought of the cake.”

She smiled at them and left, and Steve put the cake in the kitchen, before grabbing his jacket and keys and following Bucky out to the car. 

“So where are we going?” Steve asked as he pulled out the drive. 

“Dalmore beach,” Bucky muttered as he fiddled with the GPS. 

“Another beach?”

Bucky smirked. “This beach is special. Now don't ask any more questions.”

Steve followed the directions on the GPS, and after about an hour they pulled up to the beach. A man was there already, leaning against a van, and he stood when he saw them getting out the car. 

“James Gray?”

Bucky waved and jogged towards the man. “That's me. Call me Bucky, though,” he added, holding out his hand, which the man shook. 

“I'm Malcolm Macleod. I've got everything ready for you.”

“This is Steve Anderson,” Bucky said, clapping Steve on the shoulder. “It's his birthday surprise.”

Malcolm grinned. “Some surprise. Well, we've got some good waves today, so you're lucky. It's not always great this time of year.”

“Buck… what's going on?” Steve asked. 

“We're going surfing!” Bucky said, looking so happy that Steve couldn't help but laugh. 

“I hope you know I'm gonna suck at this?” Steve told him, and Bucky gave him a look. 

“You'll be fine. You have good balance.”

Malcolm opened the back of his van, and handed them each a wetsuit. “Get changed into these and then come back here, and we'll go down to the water.”

Bucky nodded, and Malcolm climbed inside the van, shutting the door behind him. Steve and Bucky stood behind the car and stripped down to their boxers quickly, pulling on the wetsuits. Bucky put his gloves back on and they locked their clothes in the car. 

“You ready?” Malcolm asked from behind them, and they turned, nodding. “Okay. Grab a board each and follow me!”

Steve and Bucky did as they'd been told, and followed Malcolm down to the sea. Malcolm took them through basic safety first, then told them how to paddle the board out to sea, before giving them some instruction on how to get up to a standing position. Steve found himself quite eager to begin, and together the three of them paddled out a way into the sea. 

“Okay,” Malcolm said, once they were far enough from the shore. “Are you ready?”

Steve and Bucky both nodded. 

“Birthday boy first, then,” Malcolm continued, and Steve took a deep breath, before standing. It wasn't easy to keep balance, but he did it. Soon Bucky and Malcolm were up beside him, and Malcolm instructed them on how to ride the waves. 

At length, Malcolm pronounced them ready to try it for real. They paddled out further into the sea; Malcolm caught the first wave, and Steve and Bucky followed. Luckily, their super soldier abilities included exceptionally good balance, and they both managed to ride the waves without issue. 

Steve could tell Malcolm was impressed, and they spent the next hour taking turns. Steve wiped out once, while distracted by Bucky's ass in his wetsuit, and got teased about it for the rest of the lesson. Of course, he wouldn't admit why he had been distracted, so the other two simply assumed that he was being a klutz. 

When their time was up, Malcolm led them back to shore. They dried off and changed back into their clothes quickly--Bucky had fortunately even had the forethought to bring a dry pair of gloves--and Steve and Bucky both thanked Malcolm profusely. 

Malcolm grinned at them. “Don't worry about it. It was a pleasure--beginners aren't usually as good as you two, so I had fun. You said you were about until the end of August?” Steve and Bucky nodded, and Malcolm continued, “Well, give me a call any time if you want to book another session.”

“We will. Thanks,” Bucky said sincerely. 

They climbed into the car and Steve smiled at Bucky. “Any other plans for today?”

“Not really,” Bucky replied, shrugging. “Although since we’re over in this part of the island we could go to that old fort thing?”

“The Carloway broch?” Steve said, pronouncing it carefully, and Bucky grinned at him when he managed to get the ‘ch’ sound at the end. 

“Yeah. I know it's just a ruin, but it could be interesting?”

“Sure!”

They found the broch easily enough, and were both impressed by how large it was, despite its ruined state. They went inside and looked into all the little doorways down the side. Steve straightened up and looked up at the sky, which was darkening quickly. He glanced at Bucky, who was touching the ancient stones; as he watched, Bucky seemed to sense Steve's eyes on him and looked up, tucking his still-wet hair behind his ear. 

“You good?” Bucky asked, and Steve nodded. 

“I'm great. Think it's gonna rain, though.”

Bucky looked up at the sky. “Yeah, looks like it. You wanna head back to the car?”

“One thing first.” Steve took out his phone and stood beside Bucky, posing for the camera. Bucky laughed and rolled his eyes, but posed with Steve, then kissed him as Steve clicked the button to take another photo. 

The wind was starting to pick up even more, so they walked back to the car and began the drive back to the house. Not long before they got to Arivruach, Steve noticed a small stone building atop a hill, and pulled into a parking spot by the side of the road. 

“Steve?” Bucky said, looking confused. 

“I wanna know what that is,” Steve said, pointing up towards the building. 

Bucky shrugged. “Sure, let's do it.”

There was a large information board, and Steve and Bucky stopped to read it. According to the board, in the late eighteen hundreds the landowners were allowing the people who lived on their land to starve, and so several crofters from the villages raided the landowner’s deer park in the village of Pairc. The men were tried as criminals, but were found not guilty by the jury. 

To commemorate these local heroes, the cairn had been built in nineteen ninety four, and contained a stone from the garden of each of the houses in the villages involved in the raid. 

“Wow,” Steve said softly, and Bucky nodded his head. 

“That's pretty wild. Let's go see it.”

They made their way up the hill to the cairn and went inside and up the staircase. The view from the top was breathtaking, and Steve stood behind Bucky, wrapping his arms around Bucky's waist and resting his chin on Bucky's shoulder. 

“I'm glad we came here,” he murmured in Bucky's ear, and Bucky nodded. 

“Me too.”

***

By the time they got home both of them were starving, having not eaten anything since their breakfast. Bucky set to cooking, shooing Steve out of the way onto one of the dining chairs as he bustled around. Their dinner was simple--steaks, fried onion and mushrooms, mixed vegetables, and some fresh bread from the bakery--and it was ready quickly. Steve poured them each a glass of red wine, and they clinked their glasses together. 

“To you on your birthday, baby,” Bucky said softly. 

“To us and always being as happy as we’ve been here,” Steve responded, and they both drank deep before tucking into their food. Afterwards, they each had a large slice of Mairi's chocolate cake with some fresh cream, and Steve moaned around the first mouthful. 

“Oh my god,” Bucky said with a laugh. “This is amazing. I think we might have to get her a giant fruit basket to say thank you.”

“Definitely,” Steve agreed. 

When they were finished, stomachs pleasantly full of good food, they topped up their wine glasses and took them through to the living room, cuddling together on the sofa. 

“Good day?” Bucky asked. 

“Best day,” Steve replied. “Thank you.”

Bucky smiled at him before kissing him. “It was my pleasure. I love you.”

“Hmm, love you too.” 

Bucky snuggled back down against Steve as they both sipped at their wine in comfortable silence. 

“So what do you want to do tomorrow?” Bucky asked suddenly. 

Steve shrugged. “Maybe have a lazy day? We've seen so much these past few days since we got here, I kinda want time to soak it all in, you know?”

“Sounds good. If it's nice, can we be lazy at the beach?”

Steve began to laugh. “Yeah, Buck. We can go to the beach if you want.”

“Awesome.”

Bucky finished his last mouthful of wine and set the glass on the table, then rested his hand on Steve's stomach, stroking it gently through his t-shirt. Steve kissed the top of Bucky's head, thinking about how lucky he was to be there with him in that moment. 

“I love you, Steve,” Bucky said suddenly, surprising Steve out of his reverie. 

“I know, Buck. I love you too.”

“No, I mean… I love you, and I'm glad we're here together, you know? And I can't help thinking about how many of your birthdays I missed, and--”

“Okay, I'm gonna stop you there,” Steve interrupted firmly. “No regrets. Not about that. We're together now, and that's what's important, okay? This, here, now. That's what we need to focus on. Yeah, we've each missed a bunch, but we're making up for that now.”

Bucky's arm tightened around him. “Yeah, I know. I just wish…” Bucky trailed off, and Steve nodded. 

“I know, Buck. Me too. But we gotta enjoy the happy moments while they last.”

“I love this place,” Bucky said quietly. “It's so peaceful.” He paused, then grinned up at Steve. “We need to explore more of the islands, though. I wanna go to Barra.”

“Where's that?”

“It's the southernmost of the islands in this group. There's a castle in the middle of the harbor, and the runway is the beach!”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. We totally have to go.”

“Definitely.”

Steve finished his wine, putting the glass down next to Bucky's. Bucky kissed his neck, before nuzzling at the skin there as his hand stroked down Steve's stomach to gently squeeze his cock. Steve hissed as he felt his cock start to harden, and he tipped Bucky's face up to kiss him. 

“Mmm, what do you want, baby? It's your birthday. You get to do whatever you want.” Bucky shot him a coquettish look and Steve had to kiss him again. 

“Want to suck you until you come down my throat, then finger you until you're hard again and fuck you.”

“Jesus, Steve, yeah. I want that too,” Bucky said, squeezing gently at Steve's now hard cock, making his hips buck. 

They ran upstairs together, stripping each other as soon as they reached the bedroom. Steve's t-shirt caught on his nose and Bucky's pants just would not come undone, and they paused, laughing, as they sorted themselves out. 

“God, I fucking love you,” Steve said, panting, as he ran his hand under Bucky's boxers to grip his bare ass and tease at his hole. 

Bucky moaned, pressing his hard cock against Steve’s hip. “Love you too, baby, so much.”

When they were finally naked, they tumbled onto the bed together, Bucky lying on his back and Steve straddling his hips. He leaned down to kiss Bucky deeply, then began to kiss his way down Bucky's neck, down his chest to his stomach. His chin bumped against Bucky's big cock and he grinned, ignoring it as he continued down Bucky's hip to his thigh, sucking kisses into the taut flesh. 

“Steve!” Bucky whined. “I thought you were gonna suck me?”

Steve smirked and shifted, sucking Bucky's balls into his mouth, and Bucky's hips came off the bed as he let out a garbled curse. He sucked and tongued at the wrinkled skin for a while before taking pity on Bucky, pulling off and beginning to lap at the head of his cock. 

Bucky grabbed a handful of Steve's hair, tugging to get Steve's attention. When Steve looked up, Bucky glared at him. 

“Just suck me, you fucking tease,” he growled, and Steve gave him a patient look. 

“Whose birthday is it?” he asked teasingly, and Bucky sighed. 

“Yours.”

“Mhm. And you said I could do whatever I wanted.”

Bucky pouted, making Steve laugh. 

“Don't worry, baby,” he said softly. “I'll take care of you.” He kissed the top of Bucky's cock, then took him into his mouth, sucking and fluttering his tongue around the head, making Bucky groan. 

He jerked the base as he sucked, lips stretching wide around Bucky's huge girth. And fuck, Steve loved Bucky's cock. In all the time they’d been together he still needed it however and whenever he could get it. 

He felt Bucky’s cock spurt precome across his tongue and moaned encouragingly. 

“Oh fuck, Steve, I'm getting close. Fuck, your mouth feels so good on my cock, baby, you're so good. So good at sucking my cock. Oh fuck, yeah, keep doing that, you're gonna make me come so hard, babydoll, yeah.”

Steve had to try not to hump the bed, Bucky's filthy mouth turning him on as much as always. He kept sucking, playing with the head with his tongue, getting a good rhythm going. Then Bucky gasped out a warning and Steve's mouth was flooded with bitter liquid as Bucky came. 

Steve swallowed around Bucky's cock, licking and sucking gently until Bucky hissed and pulled back, sensitive. Steve slid up the bed and kissed him, and Bucky kissed back hungrily. 

“You gonna get me ready for your cock now, baby?” Bucky murmured, and Steve nodded, fetching the lube and pouring it over his fingers. Bucky pushed a pillow under his hips, spreading his thighs and planting his feet on the bed to give Steve access, and Steve bit his lip at the sight. 

He began to tease at Bucky's hole with slick fingers, then pushed the first finger inside, moaning at the feeling of Bucky’s muscles clenching around him. He took his time working Bucky open, and by the time he added a second finger and began to rub at Bucky's prostate, Bucky's cock was already beginning to fill again. 

“Oh fuck, Steve, yeah. Love your fingers inside me, love it when you open me up for your cock, babydoll, feels so fucking good.”

Steve grinned up at him and began sucking kisses on Bucky's thigh as he fingered him. He knew Bucky would probably have beard burn on his thighs after, and the thought of Bucky having such a physical reminder made his cock jump and leak onto the sheets. 

When he added a third finger Bucky whined softly, fucking himself down onto Steve's fingers as Steve stretched him open. 

“Fuck, Steve, baby, I'm ready, I'm so ready, please fuck me now, please, need your cock inside me now,” Bucky said with a gasp, and Steve nodded. 

He pulled out his fingers carefully and slicked up his cock with the lube, then positioned himself and kissed Bucky as he began to push inside. Bucky whimpered and moaned against his lips as Steve's hips met his ass, and Steve paused, giving Bucky time to adjust. 

When Bucky nodded, Steve began to fuck him slowly, letting Bucky feel every inch of him on each thrust. Bucky wrapped his legs around Steve's waist, gasping and clawing at his back when Steve changed angle to hit that spot inside him, and he grinned, leaning down to kiss Bucky softly. 

“Feel good, baby?” he asked, and Bucky nodded. 

“Feels so good, Steve, fuck, love having your cock inside me, love you fucking me, but I need it harder, please!”

Steve smiled down at him and began to fuck him faster and harder. Bucky was moaning almost constantly as Steve fucked him, making the most delicious noises that were seriously turning Steve on. Steve grasped hold of Bucky's cock and began to stroke him in time with his thrusts. 

Steve began to lose himself in the familiar rhythm of their bodies, in the slick slide of tight heat around his cock, in the feel of Bucky's hard length in his hand. He could feel his orgasm start to build, but was determined to see Bucky come again first. 

He began to pound that spot inside Bucky harder, stroking his cock with more intent, then Bucky was gasping out, “God, fuck, _Steve_!” and coming hard over Steve's fist and his own stomach. Steve managed only a few more thrusts, but the feel of Bucky's ass squeezing around his cock pushed him over the edge and he came with a cry. 

Steve wiped the sweat from his brow and leaned down to kiss Bucky gently, before carefully pulling out and flipping down on the bed next to him. Bucky rolled onto his side and pulled Steve into another kiss, their lips moving against each other hungrily. 

“Happy birthday, Steve,” Bucky said at length, and Steve had to kiss him again. And again. 

***

The next few days rained almost solidly. Steve had known this was a possibility, given what he had read about the island, but he and Bucky were quite contented to just sit indoors and relax while watching movies and reruns of TV shows they'd missed. They took the occasional trip to town to stock up on food and drink, but for the most part just stayed indoors. 

Steve loved the nighttime, when he'd lie in bed, wrapped around Bucky in some way or another, listening to the rain pounding off the window. It was soothing, in a way he couldn't describe. 

The following Friday, after nine solid days of rain, the sun came out mid morning. They decided to spend the day in Harris, as there was an old church in the village of Rodel, said to date back to the fifteen hundreds. 

When they arrived, there was no one else in sight. They parked the car and got out, wind whipping around their faces, and they started to make their way up the path between the graves. None of them looked new--the most recent looked to be over a hundred years old. On closer inspection, there were gravestones going back as far as the seventeen hundreds, and possibly older; on many of them, the dates had worn away. 

The church inside was small, but imposing. It contained some amazingly ornate tombs, and both Steve and Bucky were very impressed. As they turned to leave, Steve noticed a flight of stairs. He glanced at Bucky, who nodded, and in single file made their way up the narrow staircase. 

At the top, they discovered a wooden ladder which went up even higher. From the top, the view was spectacular. Steve reached out and grasped Bucky's hand as they stood there, looking out across the beautiful landscape before them. 

The Hebridean Celtic Festival began the following week, so Steve and Bucky spent most of Saturday looking over the program to figure out what they wanted to see and when. 

“Hey, Steve,” Bucky said, handing over a leaflet. “Check it out. We could learn some of the local language on Thursday and Friday morning?”

Steve raised his eyebrows. “That could be interesting. It says here it's best to book--you want to?” 

“Sure! Then we can talk about people back home behind their backs and they won't know.”

“I doubt we'll be fluent enough for that after two days,” Steve responded with a laugh, “but let's give it a try.”

They also bought a ticket to the opening concert, held in An Lanntair, the local arts center. There was supposed to be a dance on afterwards, but neither of them particularly wanted to stay for that since they wouldn't be able to dance together. 

“We'll just come home and dance together here,” Bucky said, kissing the top of Steve's head as Steve snuggled into his side on the sofa. Steve nodded and squeezed Bucky's knee. 

Despite their reservations, the festival turned out to be fantastic fun. The music was actually good, and they saw a wide range of styles and artists over the four days. The Gaelic lessons also went surprisingly well, and by the end they could speak a fair amount, although their accents still left a lot to be desired. Still, Steve could now pronounce “loch” properly, which he counted as a win. 

The last week in July, they booked themselves overnight in a hotel--making sure the room had two double beds, just in case--and took a trip down to Barra. They had to change flights on the island of Benbecula, then fly the rest of the way down. Both planes were small; not as small as the quinjet, but still pretty small for passenger planes. As they approached the runway in Barra, Bucky grabbed Steve's arm from across the aisle. 

“We're gonna land on the beach!” he said gleefully, and Steve couldn't help but laugh, even though he was just as excited. 

The landing was surprisingly smooth, and they stepped out, down the staircase and onto the beach. After collecting their luggage, they took a cab down to Castlebay and the Castlebay Hotel. Their room had a view of the harbor and Kisimul Castle--which the woman at the front desk informed them was pronounced as “keesh-meel”, and sat in the middle of the bay on an island. 

They got settled in their room, then headed out to the harbor. They had booked a trip to the castle, and when they arrived at the dock there was an older man taking names. 

“Steve Anderson and James Gray,” Steve told the man, who smiled at them toothily. 

“Pleased to meet you gents. Climb into the boat there--we'll be ready to leave in five minutes.”

The boat was quite small, and it was a bit of a squeeze for everyone, but soon everyone was settled and they made the short trip to the castle. 

Once they were docked, everyone got out onto the seaweed-covered pier. 

“I'll be back for you at five o’clock!” the man said, and the group nodded before heading up to the castle. 

Steve took dozens of photographs as they wandered around. He had taken more photographs that trip than he could have believed, but everything was so picturesque that he couldn't help himself. And if at least half of those photographs included Bucky, well. Steve surely couldn't be blamed for that. 

They explored the whole castle from top to bottom, and took several selfies from the top of the battlements. The time flew by, and before they knew it, it was time to leave. They went back to the hotel for dinner, planning to have their meal in the restaurant downstairs. 

Bucky had steak with fries, but Steve asked the waitress what their best dish was. 

“Probably the mussels, accompanied by a pint of Guinness,” the waitress replied with a wink, and Steve smiled at her. 

“I'll have that, then.”

“Do you even like mussels?” Bucky asked him, laughing, once the waitress was out of earshot. 

“I guess I'll find out,” Steve replied with a grin. 

The mussels, when they came, had been cooked in garlic butter, and they were delicious. The Guinness went very well with them, and even Bucky had a taste, agreeing that they were well worth a try. 

That night they collapsed into bed together, and Steve barely closed his eyes before he was asleep. 

The following morning they rumpled the covers on the other bed to make it look slept-in, and went down for breakfast. They each had a full Scottish breakfast, which when it came was enormous, and Steve thanked his lucky stars for his super soldier metabolism. 

On their way back, on the plane between Benbecula and Stornoway, Bucky smiled over at Steve. 

“Good trip?” he asked, and Steve nodded. 

“Amazing. I just wish we'd had longer.”

“We can always go back some day.”

Steve smiled, but his heart was heavy. They'd already been there a month, and it was only a matter of time before someone found them. 

***

The next two weeks were full of fun. On good days, they went to the beach and spent the day relaxing. On wet days they stayed inside, watching movies and fucking as often as their bodies could stand it. 

But then, at the end of the second week of August, Steve's cell phone began to ring. Steve looked at the caller ID and closed his eyes briefly before answering. 

“Hey, Tony.”

“Cap! Enjoying your time away from the pressures of superhero-hood?”

“Yeah, it's been good.” Steve paused. “Not to be rude, but why the call?”

“Well, you see, there's a bit of a situation. We need your help. Ross is willing to pardon you--”

“I won't go anywhere that Bucky won't be safe,” Steve said shortly, and Tony sighed down the line. 

“If you'd let me finish, Cap? He's willing to pardon you _and_ your boy Barnes if you'll come and help.”

“How do I know this isn't a set up?”

“I swear it. I’ll swear it on my mom’s grave, if you need me to. We need you, Cap. What do you say?”

Steve took a deep breath. “We'll meet you in New York in two days.”

“You sure? I can always send the quinjet--”

“No. Thank you, Tony, but we'll make our own way there.”

“Okay, Cap. Well, I guess we'll see you in two days.”

Steve ended the call, and Bucky stood, wrapping his arms around Steve's waist. 

“Duty calls?” he asked softly, and Steve nodded. 

“Yeah. I’d better go tell Mairi.”

“I'll come with you,” Bucky said, grabbing the keys and following Steve out the door, across the road to Mairi's. 

She opened the door almost straight away. “I thought I saw you boys coming!” she said cheerfully. “Do you want a cup of tea?”

“No thanks, Mairi,” Steve said as they followed her inside. “We've come to tell you we're really sorry, but we have to go. Obviously we'll pay you until the end of the month.”

Mairi looked at them searchingly, smiling softly. “Is this to do with the Avengers?” she asked, and Steve and Bucky stared at her. “I knew who you were… well. Not straight away, but I figured it out,” Mairi said with a laugh. “You do look different with your beard.”

“You never said anything,” Bucky said. 

Mairi shook her head. “You obviously didn't want to be recognized.”

Steve took her hands. “We'll never forget you, Mairi. Thank you. For everything.”

“It was my pleasure,” she responded, smiling. “Now you boys get on and save the world, and come back any time, okay?”

They stood, and hugged and kissed her on the cheek before leaving. Once they were finished packing, Bucky went over to the window, looking out across the loch. Steve went up behind him, wrapping his arms around Bucky's waist and resting his chin on Bucky's shoulder. 

“We can come back some day,” he said softly, and Bucky nodded, blinking back tears that Steve pretended not to see. 

As they boarded their flight to Glasgow, where they'd get a connection to New York, Steve took one more look at the island he'd grown to love, before finding his seat and flying out, back to real life. 

Bucky gripped his hand as the plane took off, and Steve smiled at him. It wasn't ideal, but as long as Bucky was with him, he was home.


End file.
